Blogs from Medellin, Colombia, South America - page 17

Okay, so in the last blog I was listing what we did in the great city of Medellin. Can't remember what number I was on, so I'll start fresh with numero uno... 1. Went to the Jardin Botanico, which is very large and FREE and has a butterfly garden, an orchid garden, and other cool things to see. Because it's free, it also seems to be a hangout for local teenagers who want to come make out with their boyfriends and girlfriends. 2. Ryan spent a day at a water park, which was pretty cheap at $3 entry fee. And I spent a day browsing boutiques and getting waxed (girly things) in the Poblado neighborhood near our hostel. 3. Took the Metrocable to the outskirts of the city. This is a really cool feature of the ... read more

... read more

I arrived in Medellin on a 13 hour overnight bus and checked into the Black Sheep hostel, after a few missed attempts at finding it on behalf of the taxi driver. The owner, Kelvin, is extremely helpful and very chilled out, a trait I have become accustomed with kiwis! He gave me a map of the area and pointed me in the direction of the local attractions…too easy…so all that was left to do was freshen up and head to the bakery for breakfast and a coffee. I met Stephanie almost immediately as she was still in bed in the dorm. She is half Swiss and half Peruvian and has been living in Lima for the last 2 years. She had arrived the night before with her friend Janine, also from Switzerland and I told her ... read more

Oh my, it's been a long time since I've blogged. And it's not like I've been on the road or especially busy. In fact, just the opposite. I've been very settled. After about 2.5 months back on the road, I thought it might be nice to settle down in Medellin for a while and take an intermediate Spanish class. There is a university here in Medellin called EAFIT, which recently received the highest certification such a Spanish program can receive on the global scene. It ended up being fairly pricey but when I figured out the hourly cost compared to what I would pay for a course in SF, it ended up being far cheaper to do it here. I had gotten to a point in my Spanish where I felt I would benefit from having ... read more

Today I'll be moving on from Medellín and heading south to what will (probably) be my final destination here in Colombia - a small town called Popayán. But I owe you a few days worth of update, so here goes. Sunday I awoke as sore as I expected. The sunburn was as painful as I've ever experienced - every move was accompanied by searing pain. Wasn't pleasant. I applied a cold towel and, later, some cream which soothed it a bit. Not for the first time, I cursed my own stupidity. Having showered (a cold shower - by choice) and applied a liberal dose of sunblock on my face and shoulders I got dressed (gingerly), opting for my full length white linen shirt and headed (equally gingerly) towards Universidad. The plan was to go to Parque ... read more